1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a toy for enabling a user of the toy to produce a concealed message for forwarding to a second party and for revealing a concealed message received from a second party to the user.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
The use of colored backgrounds, especially red backgrounds having a busy pattern to conceal messages written on such backgrounds, has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,353. This patent discloses a system for transmitting confidential information through the mail. It requires that the recipient have a red colored transparency, which is placed over the message to interpret the message.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,656, a plate of a translucent red material is placed on a surface, which includes a translucent upper surface covered with a red/yellow obscuring design so that the user of the plate can see an otherwise concealed design through the bottom of the plate.
The present invention comprises a toy for enabling a first party to produce a concealed message and to reveal a concealed message from a second party. The toy comprises: a toy body having a first side and a second side, a top and a bottom and a first and second end and includes a concealed message-production surface and a concealed message-revealing window. A message paper of a size and configuration suitable for positioning on the message-production surface and for positioning for viewing through the concealed message-revealing window and having on its message-bearing surface a concealing design of a selected color is used to transmit messages.
In some embodiments, the concealed message-production surface and the concealed message-revealing window may be positioned on opposite sides of the toy.
In a further embodiment, the toy of the present invention may have the message-production surface and the concealed message-revealing window on the same side of the toy. The message-revealing window may be raisable to use the same surface for the message display surface and for the message-production surface.
In a further embodiment, the toy of the present invention is adapted to function as a table-top model and the message-revealing window and the message-production surface may be on either side or on the same side of the toy.
The toy may be adapted to be worn as a bracelet/wrist watch, a necklace, on a belt, or the like.
In a further embodiment, the toy may include an electric or electronic message-generating system which generates the message-containing media which includes a concealing design of a selected color and a message-revealing window.